Super Circus

Super Circus, released by D. Gottlieb & Co. in the mid-1950s, exemplifies the golden age of electro-mechanical pinball machines when circus and carnival themes were extremely popular in the amusement industry. This machine captured the excitement and spectacle of the big top, reflecting America's ongoing fascination with circus entertainment during the post-war era.

The machine's playfield design featured classic circus elements including clowns, acrobats, and circus animals, all rendered in the distinctive artistic style of the 1950s. As was typical for machines of this era, Super Circus utilized mechanical score reels, bells, and chimes to create its audio feedback. The gameplay focused on hitting various targets that corresponded to different circus acts, with bumpers and rollover switches activating score features.

What made Super Circus particularly notable was its timing, arriving during a period when pinball was fighting to maintain its legitimacy in many American cities where the games had been banned as gambling devices. Machines with family-friendly themes like this one helped reshape pinball's image from a game of chance to one of skill and entertainment. The circus theme resonated well with operators who were looking for approachable, non-controversial themes for their locations.

While exact production numbers are not well documented, Super Circus was manufactured during a period when Gottlieb was the dominant force in pinball manufacturing, known for producing reliable and profitable machines. Today, surviving examples of Super Circus are sought after by collectors as representatives of classic 1950s pinball design and artwork.